Robert Kubica has a chance of returning to the Formula 1 grid.
That is the claim of Frederic Vasseur, boss of the Alfa Romeo team where the Polish driver is now the official reserve.
Having spent all of 2019 at the bottom of the grid with Williams, Kubica topped the timesheets in Barcelona earlier this week.
It has triggered speculation that the 35-year-old may in fact still be good enough to be competitive with the right team.
Asked if Kubica has a chance of returning to a race seat, Vasseur told Eleven Sports: "Certainly.
"If you look at where Robert is know, he certainly is closer than a few years ago.
"The task he had a year ago was not easy. I know George (Russell), who used to race in my team, and I rate him very, very highly. It was a difficult situation for Robert.
"But now the work he will do for us and in the DTM will have an impact on his future."
However, Vasseur stopped short of saying that Kubica has a chance of being promoted by Alfa Romeo.
"The agreement we have is focusing on the current season," he said. "And the most important thing is the result at the end of the season, not words spoken 12 months earlier."